Sara Hosseinian1, Abolfazl Khajavi Rad2, Alireza Ebrahimzadeh Bideskan3, Mohammad Soukhtanloo4, Hamidreza Sadeghnia5, Mohammad Naser Shafei6, Fatemeh Motejadded3, Reza Mohebbati1, Samira Shahraki1, Farimah Beheshti1. 1. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 2. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Neurogenic Inflammation Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: khajavirada@mums.ac.ir. 3. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 4. Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 5. Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plants, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 6. Neurocognitive Research Center, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is well established that renin-angiotensin system (RAS) play a central role in pathophysiology of renal damage following unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). The present study investigated the effects of thymoquinone and RAS blockade on renal tissue damage and renal expression of angiotensin II after UUO in rats. METHODS: Forty male rats were divided to five groups: Sham-operated group, UUO group and rats with UUO treated with losartan, captopril and thymoquinone. The rats were evaluated two weeks after UUO by measuring renal oxidative stress, apoptosis and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and angiotensin II. RESULTS: Two weeks after UUO there was a significant increase in the number of renal apoptotic cells and renal malondialdehyde and TNF-α expression. In addition, renal total thiol content and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased in UUO group, compared with the sham group. Also, UUO was associated with upregulation in the expression of angiotensin II and MCP-1 in the obstructed kidney. Losartan, captopril and thymoquinone significantly improved oxidative damage, apoptosis and TNF-α expression and markedly decreased the upregulation of angiotensin II and MCP-1 compared with the UUO group. CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that thymoquinone is able to improve the UUO-induced renal tissue damage. These favorable actions of thymoquinone on UUO model in rat are comparable with the well-known RAS inhibitors captopril and losartan.
BACKGROUND: It is well established that renin-angiotensin system (RAS) play a central role in pathophysiology of renal damage following unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). The present study investigated the effects of thymoquinone and RAS blockade on renal tissue damage and renal expression of angiotensin II after UUO in rats. METHODS: Forty male rats were divided to five groups: Sham-operated group, UUO group and rats with UUO treated with losartan, captopril and thymoquinone. The rats were evaluated two weeks after UUO by measuring renal oxidative stress, apoptosis and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and angiotensin II. RESULTS: Two weeks after UUO there was a significant increase in the number of renal apoptotic cells and renal malondialdehyde and TNF-α expression. In addition, renal total thiol content and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased in UUO group, compared with the sham group. Also, UUO was associated with upregulation in the expression of angiotensin II and MCP-1 in the obstructed kidney. Losartan, captopril and thymoquinone significantly improved oxidative damage, apoptosis and TNF-α expression and markedly decreased the upregulation of angiotensin II and MCP-1 compared with the UUO group. CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that thymoquinone is able to improve the UUO-induced renal tissue damage. These favorable actions of thymoquinone on UUO model in rat are comparable with the well-known RAS inhibitors captopril and losartan.
Authors: Y Baghcheghi; A Mokhtari-Zaer; M Hosseini; A Anaeigoudari; H Salmani; F Beheshti Journal: Acta Endocrinol (Buchar) Date: 2021 Oct-Dec Impact factor: 1.104